| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to caregivers for adults; authorizing the |
| 3 | Department of Elderly Affairs to create a pilot program to |
| 4 | train economically disadvantaged workers of a specified |
| 5 | age or older to act as companions and provide certain |
| 6 | services to frail adults in the community; specifying |
| 7 | additional purposes of the pilot program; requiring an |
| 8 | evaluation and report to the Legislature; providing an |
| 9 | effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Section 1. (1) Beginning in the 2007-2008 fiscal year and |
| 14 | for a period of no longer than 3 years, the Department of |
| 15 | Elderly Affairs may establish a pilot program to train |
| 16 | economically disadvantaged workers 55 years of age or older to |
| 17 | act as companions and provide personal assistance to frail |
| 18 | adults 60 years of age or older in the community. The department |
| 19 | shall use the resources of the Senior Community Service |
| 20 | Employment Program to support the pilot program to the greatest |
| 21 | extent allowed by federal law. The purposes of the pilot program |
| 22 | are to: |
| 23 | (a) Foster the development of training and employment |
| 24 | opportunities for economically disadvantaged workers 55 years of |
| 25 | age or older; |
| 26 | (b) Encourage the use of economically disadvantaged |
| 27 | workers 55 years of age or older in providing community-based |
| 28 | care for frail adults 60 years of age or older who live in the |
| 29 | community; |
| 30 | (c) Assist in meeting the growing demand for in-home |
| 31 | companion care services and personal care services and |
| 32 | preventing costly and premature institutional placements; and |
| 33 | (d) Act as a direct referral service for the Department of |
| 34 | Elderly Affairs. |
| 35 | (2) By January 1, 2010, if the pilot program is |
| 36 | established, the Department of Elderly Affairs shall submit a |
| 37 | report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the |
| 38 | House of Representatives which includes the status of the |
| 39 | implementation of the program, the number of economically |
| 40 | disadvantaged workers 55 years of age or older who have been |
| 41 | trained to provide community-based care for frail adults 60 |
| 42 | years of age or older who live in the community, the number of |
| 43 | frail adults 60 years of age or older who have received such |
| 44 | services, and recommendations for further legislation, including |
| 45 | a recommendation regarding extending the pilot program |
| 46 | throughout the state. |
| 47 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |